Get the latest Syracuse news delivered right to your inbox.
Subscribe to our newsletter here.

Editor’s note: This article contains mentions of suicide and details of gun violence.

Around 40 Syracuse University students gathered on the Quad Thursday for a peaceful protest commemorating the 24th anniversary of the Columbine High School massacre.

Be With Survivors SU, formerly Stand With Survivors SU, organized the protest. The group formed in 2021 as a student-led organization which aims to fight sexual misconduct and rape culture at the university.

The protest took place between 11:19 a.m. and 12:08 p.m. — the times between which the Columbine High School massacre took place 24 years ago. On April 20, 1999, two 12th grade students opened fire in the high school in Littleton, Colorado. After killing 12 students and one teacher and an unsuccessful attempt of bombing the school, the two committed suicide.

At the beginning of the event, BWSSU founder and co-president Carla Guariglia called for 15 minutes of silence for the 15 people who died in the Columbine High School shooting.

The United States has seen a spike in mass shootings in recent years. As of Monday, there have been more mass shootings than days in 2023.

“This violence has affected all of us, even if we are lucky enough to not have personally experienced it,” Guariglia said.

Schools across New York state are impacted by a recent uptick in cases of “swatting,” which is when a person contacts law enforcement and falsely reports an emergency to cause panic. SU’s Department of Public Safety has confirmed two false reports of shooting in the past week.

Kayla Turner, a junior studying neuroscience and sociology and a former president of BWSSU, told The Daily Orange that although the recent reports of on-campus shootings were confirmed to be false, they still remind the campus community that gun violence is prevalent and could happen at SU.

Turner also said it’s important to facilitate discussions of the current safety measures on SU’s campus. Multiple students at the protest said DPS’s current alert system and response to reports of shooting are ineffective.

Sophomore international relations and Spanish major Adam Baltaxe said it takes too long for SU to inform the campus community about ongoing situations based on the two swatting incidents last week.

Grace Newell, a sophomore majoring in sociology and women’s and gender studies who attended the protest, told The D.O. she felt “disappointment, fear and anger” toward DPS’s handling of information in gun violence-related situations.

“It’s unacceptable to not deem it a real threat when hundreds of students on campus are panicking when they see the potential of an active shooter,” Newell said. “It’s real for us (but) it’s not real for DPS. And that disconnect is really, really upsetting.”

During the protest, students and BWSSU leaders rebuked the National Rifle Association and pro-gun politicians. In 2022, Sen. Ted Cruz spoke at the NRA convention in Texas days after the Uvalde school shooting. The NRA’s political action committee also gave Republican Rep. Brandon Williams, who represents Syracuse, $4,950 for his 2022 general election campaign.

“In the midst of this, it forces us to ask a question. How much are we worth to them? How much value do our lives have in their eyes? And what is my price tag?” Guariglia said.

The organizers said they hope the protest serves as a healing space and promotes safety and wellness on campus. They also hope it serves as a wake-up call for the campus community by raising awareness and facilitating discussions of gun violence-related issues.

“By doing things like this event, we disrupt the supposed peace,” Guariglia said during the protest. “We let everyone know that we are not okay with what is going on here, and we need a change. This country needs a change.”

Correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly referred to Kayla Turner as a co-president of Be With Survivors SU. Turner is a former president of BWSSU, but no longer holds the position. The Daily Orange regrets this error.

Published on April 20, 2023 at 10:32 pm

Contact Francis: [email protected] | @francis_towne